A numerical solution is presented for the dynamic analysis of gas lubricated noncontacting mechanical face seals having a single grounded flexibly mounted stator. Seal dynamics is solved in axial and angular modes of motion. Both the Reynolds equation and the equations of motion are arranged into a single state space form, allowing the fluid film lubrication and the dynamics to be solved simultaneously. The resulting set of equations is solved using a high-order multistep ordinary differential equation solver, yielding a complete simulation for the seal dynamic behavior. Examples of seal motion are given in detailed transient responses. The stability threshold is investigated to gauge the influence of seal parameters such as inertia, speed, coning, and the direction of sealed pressure drops. The results show two modes of instability: (1) When the inertia effect is larger than a critical value, the natural response of the seal grows monotonically in a half-frequency-whirl mode. (2) When the seal coning is less than some critical value in an outside pressurized seal, the minimum film thickness diminishes because of hydrostatic instability, and face contact occurs. Conversely, an inside pressurized seal is shown to be hydrostatically stable and have a superior dynamic response at any coning.
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April 2001
Technical Papers
A Simultaneous Numerical Solution for the Lubrication and Dynamic Stability of Noncontacting Gas Face Seals
Itzhak Green,
Itzhak Green
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405
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Roger M. Barnsby
Roger M. Barnsby
Pratt and Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, East Hartford, CT 06108
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Itzhak Green
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405
Roger M. Barnsby
Pratt and Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, East Hartford, CT 06108
Contributed by the Tribology Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for presentation at the STLE/ASME Tribology Conference, Seattle, WA, October 1–4. Manuscript received by the Tribology Division Feb. 7, 2000; revised manuscript received June 8, 2000. Paper No. 2000-TR1B-10. Associate Editor: J. Fre^ne.
J. Tribol. Apr 2001, 123(2): 388-394 (7 pages)
Published Online: June 8, 2000
Article history
Received:
February 7, 2000
Revised:
June 8, 2000
Citation
Green, I., and Barnsby, R. M. (June 8, 2000). "A Simultaneous Numerical Solution for the Lubrication and Dynamic Stability of Noncontacting Gas Face Seals ." ASME. J. Tribol. April 2001; 123(2): 388–394. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1308020
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